Mattuthavani Flower Market here now has an accumulated waste of about 10 tonnes. As a result, foul smell wafts past heaps of fresh flowers.
Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, Pookadai S. Ramachandran, president of Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Malar Makkal Nala Sangam, said that no effort had been made to clear the garbage despite repeated requests.
“Earlier, Madurai Corporation has been using the garbage to produce manure and wasn selling it at M.G.R. Bus Stand. In the last month, despite informing members of the Madurai Marketing Committee, no one has come to clear the waste,” he said.
The piling garbage has began to decompose in the dumping yard. “This land was first a Corporation Composting yard. We purchased it from them but it looks like nothing much has changed over time. It is still a dumping yard,” he says.
Other shopkeepers are also critical of the Marketing Committee. S. Chinnakaruppan said that they were asking for drinking water facility for years at the market, which provides space for at least 10,000 farmers, lorry drivers and shoppers, trading on a daily basis.
M. Sarasamma, a street vendor, said that the bathrooms at the market were unusable. If traders wanted to use a clean toilet, they must go all the way to the M.G.R. Bus Stand, located about 700 metres away.
Mr. Ramachandran said that the recent influx of traders from Periyar bus stand was raising the need for more amenities.
“Ever since the bus stand closed down, all traders are coming here seeking spots to sell their flowers. We do not have the facilities to accommodate them. We have no instructions from the Agriculture department about where they will have place their shops,” he said.
The president added that it was common to see foreign tourists repulsed by piles of garbage and smelly toilets. “People from across the world come here to see the Madurai Malli (jasmine) but are disgusted at the smell, particularly on a rainy day. We have the power to make this a thriving tourist destination if we can provide better infrastructure,” he said.
Special Officer of Madurai Market Committee J. Thavasumuthu said that the Agriculture department had tried for years to bring about a change.
“But the shopkeepers do not maintain the amenities provided to them. Between 2012 and 2016, we hired 14 casual labourers to clean the dump yard and the toilets but the situation remained the same. The shopkeepers also stole the bulbs and broke some of the toilets. We have tried to convey all-association meetings but it is difficult to have everyone on the same page,” he said.
He assured that the market committee would attempt to address the issue at the earliest and talk to the Corporation about garbage clearance.
